The ongoing trade war between the United States and China has created a rift in global trade, leading to the emergence of a new form of economic competition, dubbed the “trade agreement cold war”. This new economic battle has seen countries such as China, Japan, and Germany striking trade agreements with one another to form alliances and compete with the US.
The Trump administration`s aggressive stance on trade has led to the imposition of punitive tariffs on Chinese goods, leading to an escalation of tensions between the two countries. The US has accused China of unfair trade practices, such as currency manipulation, intellectual property theft and forced technology transfer, while China has accused the US of protectionism and undermining the multilateral trading system.
As a result of this stalemate, China has been quick to establish itself as the leading advocate of globalization, championing free trade and the liberalization of markets. To achieve this, China has sought to build closer economic ties with other countries, particularly in Asia, Europe, and Africa, through the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), a global infrastructure plan designed to boost economic development across the world.
Japan, Germany, and other countries have also been keen to establish stronger economic ties with China, in part to counter the US`s protectionist policies and create new markets. For instance, Japan recently signed a free trade agreement with the European Union, while Germany has also sought to deepen its economic ties with China, with Chancellor Angela Merkel visiting Beijing in 2018 to strengthen cooperation on trade and investment.
The US, on the other hand, has been less willing to forge closer economic ties with other countries, instead, prioritizing bilateral trade agreements, such as the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) and signing a phase one trade deal with China in early 2020. The US has also been critical of China`s BRI, raising concerns over the terms of the loans and debt burdens that countries might take on.
The emergence of the “trade agreement cold war” has significant implications for the global economy, with the potential for a fracturing of global trade as countries increasingly align themselves with particular economic blocs. It also raises questions over the future of the World Trade Organization (WTO), which has seen its role diminished in recent years, with countries increasingly choosing to negotiate bilateral trade agreements instead.
In conclusion, the ongoing trade war between the US and China has resulted in the emergence of a new form of economic competition, the “trade agreement cold war”. This new economic battle has seen countries increasingly aligning themselves with particular economic blocs, raising concerns over the future of the multilateral trading system. As the battle continues, it will be interesting to see how countries navigate this new era of global economic competition.